Unable to access download

[user843839]

Hello everyone,

I have been trying to download Open Office for the first time.

I keep getting a message from my browser that it can't access the website.

I'm on Win 7, IE 8.

Thank you for any suggestions or help.

[thomasjk]

Is this the site www.openoffice.org? Appears to be slow right now. Try http://distribution.openoffice.org/mirrors/#mirrors.

[user843839]

To Tom K.

thank you Tom ! I will try the site later. I was afraid it was my PC.

I appreciate your quick and helpful reply.

Tom C

[guatemala]

Dear all, I went to the other link (mirrors) but now I don't know what to do. Help!
Thanks

[thomasjk]

At the mirror list in the link I posted above, click on a link in a country near you then click on the "stable" link then click on 3.2.0. Just click on the download you want to begin downloading.

[guatemala]

Thank you Tom! I was able to download from Argentina, now I have a folder on my desktop that says OO.o Installation Files and I followed the instructions to unpack and install and it told me it was successful but I don't know how to open it. Can you help please?

[Hagar Delest]

Use your Windows start menu or the blue OOo icon that should be now on your desktop.

[guatemala]

There's no blue icon and it doesn't appear in tne starter menu either, there's just s folder on my desktop that says installation files, I'm trying to repair.....any ideas?

[Hagar Delest]

Have you restarted? Then in the Windows Start menu, isn't there an OpenOffice.org 3 menu?

[ginfo]

My problem is similar to Guatemala below. I have successfully downloaded OOo 3.2 twice, so they say. I can find the OOo..exe file, but no icons on my desktop nor under Start menu. I have downloaded Java JRE, and rebooted. I am running Win 7 x64. I have found many things not yet compatible with 64 bits. Might this be the problem?

Thanks! Gin

(Sorry, didn't mean to add this on ongoing thread, but perhaps it's appropriate)

[thomasjk]

Where did you save the downloaded file? Are you using IE8? The default location is C:\Users\username\Downloads for IE8.

[ginfo]

I thought I used the default, but it's under Gin/Downloads. Should I retry using your default?

[ginfo]

Yes, it's in C:\Users\Gin\Downloads and I am using IE8.

[thomasjk]

OK. Just double click the downloaded file to begin the install process.

[ginfo]

Hi Tom, Thanks for your reply. I have just installed it for the third time. It says the installation was complete, but after I reboot I still do not see any icons on my desktop nor under the Start menu. And when I do a search there is nothing found on my computer. Is this hopeless?

Thanks, Gin

[thomasjk]

You don't see a blue Openoffice icon with the birds that says Openoffice.org 3.2 on your desktop?
On the Start menu I have Start-->All Programs-->Openoffice.org 3.2. Do you not have this?
Do you have any Openoffice icon on your desktop?

[ginfo]

Nope. No birds. Nada. But it makes me feel less frustrated just sharing this with you.

[Hagar Delest]

In C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org3, do you see a \program folder? There should be the swriter.exe, scalc.exe, ... to launch each component.

[ginfo]

I don't see any of those program files, and a search turns up nothing. So even though I get the message that installation was successful, nothing appears on my computer. I'm really thinking it's a non compatability with the 64 bits. I'm really regretting buying this new 64 bit computer. The reason I was trying to download OpenOffice was because I am having so many problems with Microsoft Word compatibility with my older word files. And I have read that Photoshop CS4 will not load on Win 7 x64. So I'm hoping CS5 will. And on and on. Ad nauseum. Wasting my life.

[RoryOF]

There are, as you note, problems with running 32 bit programs on 64 bit operating system. You could try downloading a 32 bit linux (I use Ubuntu 10.4, previously 9.10 and 9.04), and burn this to CD (use a slow burn speed, experience shows). You can then run this as a "Live CD", which will not affect your existing operating system, and use all its facilities (slight speed penalty, perhaps) to see if you like it. It comes with a version of OpenOffice preinstalled. If you like it, you can either install it as a dual boot system, or as the only operating system on your computer.

There are 64 bit versions of Ubuntu and other linuxes, but these may still have a certain difficulty running with 32 bit other programs, so I advise the 32 bit version of the OS. If you _must_ have certain Windows programs (you mention CS4/5) then you ought only install a dual boot system.

[ginfo]

Thanks for your response and suggestions. Right now they sound pretty daunting, but perhaps some sleep will help. It's nice to know there's hope. Maybe.

Gin

[RoryOF]

On reflection, and meaning no disrespect, if you cannot find the installation of OpenOffice on your computer, linux of any description may be too complex. I think you should seek assistance - a helpful neighbourhood teenager might sort out your problem very quickly.

[Hagar Delest]

I have just installed it for the third time. It says the installation was complete, but after I reboot I still do not see any icons on my desktop

You should not be able to install several times the same application. Do you confirm that you've seen the installation process? Once launched, it should create installation files on the desktop, then, OOo installation really starts. Once installed, don't reboot yet, look for the OOo entries in the Start menu.

Are you able to install other softwares? Are you administrator of the machine? If you run the installer As administrator (right click menu I think), does it help?

[ginfo]

When I click on the downloaded OOo.....exe file, if the previous installation occurred I should get the message that it recognizes it and ask me if I want to overwrite it. But that never happens. It just goes through another normal sequence including asking if I want a desktop icon, etc. When it finishes, I get the normal window for installation complete. At that time, there are no icons on my desktop nor programs under start menu.

I am (regretably) the administrator of this computer and it will not let me install without being in administrator mode. I have not yet had any installations problems. I have installed Microsoft Office 2007, and the JRE required for OOo.

Thanks for your time, Gin

[ginfo]

Rory,

I am with a university and it was my IT people who suggested I try OpenOffice. I wil take this problem to them. I would never allow a neighborhood teenager to touch my computer.

I am by no means a techy, but this is not rocket science. I do find your remarks insulting.

[RoryOF]

I did not intend them to be insulting, but the level of expertise being revealed in this thread suggests that another pair of eyes might be useful in overseeing what is happening or not happening on your computer.

Can you do a system-wide search (showing hidden files) for soffice.exe? On my Win2K system this lives in C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 3\program. If it shows up on your system, then we have a lead.

[ginfo]

OK This is my last reply to this forum. THERE IS NO C:\PROGRAM FILES\OPENOFFICE.ORG ON MY MACHINE!!!!! I cannot repeat this anymore.

Thank you all for your efforts.

Gin

[Hagar Delest]

First time I see an installation completed without any OOo folder created in Program Files. I also think another pair of eyes looking at your machine is needed here.

[Bill]

OK This is my last reply to this forum. THERE IS NO C:\PROGRAM FILES\OPENOFFICE.ORG ON MY MACHINE!!!!! I cannot repeat this anymore.

Thank you all for your efforts.

Gin

Can anyone confirm that OOo should be installed in C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org in 64-bit Windows 7 RTM and not in C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenOffice.org 3? In the 64-bit Windows 7 Release Candidate, 32-bit programs were installed in Program Files (x86) and 64-bit programs were installed in Program Files.

[Hagar Delest]

But at least a search should give something and it doesn't seem to be the case according to one of ginfo's post above.